Just Vesuvius
Plot Summary The Vesuvius Twins had always been a dangerous duo, and do everything together (they are even looking forward to "Multi-Mania", the theme park in California, not far from Marlene's old zoo, where you have to at least have a twin, or you have to pay a toll) but recently, they had there first fight... and it was over a girl! Specifically, Amy Dehauntedo's latest fight against the Goblin Scouts won the spoiled brats over (violence is there favorite spectator sport) and they have different opinions on how to get her attention! Having no idea what she's up against (had kept her dignity under the care of less abusive owners), Duchess Lucinda tries to get the Vesuvius brothers to team up again... especially since she promises to use their transport to get her and her own twin to Multi-Mania as well. Had lost his dignity to those spoiled boys as their exotic pet (and had kept the "shiny souvenir" to prove it), King Julien doesn't approve his sister's well-meaning antics. Will the penguins be able to help him stop her before it's too late? stay tuned. Story Duchess Lucinda was always the brains of the royal family, and had made many unusual devices to prove it. The latest of her creations this time was a mass-hypnosis disc that she rigged into the boombox of her twin brother, King Julien. With the whole lemur habitat knocked out (aside her, as she had earplugs) she had far better chance of sneaking out of the zoo after dark... you see, as a twin, she has to insure all family occasions are filled in for, and her half-birthday gift is practically 3 months over due (if memory serves her right, it is almost the start of the 62 days of "Julienuary", of all nonsense)! She used to do vigilante work around the city numerous times , so she knew New York like the tip of her tail... well, almost that well. See, most of her criminal chases rarely cut into the Manhattan district, but had she gone more often, she would've known the dangers of the two boys seeming to play a harmless game by putting on hats and spinning around someone in a chant: Who is Victor? Who is Vince? Which Vesuvius brother's which? Obviously they are twins... identical twins (not fraternal with matching faces, like Julien and herself). Guess it right, we'll go away but if you're wrong, we're here to stay Lucinda was so baffled by the unusual game that she had no idea someone had followed her from the zoo. It don't matter what you choose either way, you're gonna lose A hand pulled the young duchess away from the view of the assumed Vesuvius twins. Turns out, it was Darla who tugged at her, and judging by the looks of her gals faces (which were easier to analyze at that angle then Darla herself), the baboons were only trying to protect her. but if you rather press your luck guess who and... time is up! "You really want that incantation to spill your marbles, cowgirl?" Duchess Lucinda was shocked by Darla's words. Incantation? Somehow the game no longer seems so harmless, but she doesn't really believe the boys are evil. Probably just self-defense, as their little poem came true. The man they were circling just couldn't tell them apart, and they ran off as he tried to figure out what happened. Even the baboons, being backwoods magicians, couldn't understand the strange Vesuvius powers. In fact, Darla warned Lucinda that every animal in the zoo had means to fear them for it, but the lady lemur didn't stick around for the baboons to explain. Twins with such a strong bond to pull of such an illusion must be wise to all the best things and places for two. ''Duchess Lucinda thought, as she jumped onto the top of the Vesuvius limo. The twins were celebrating there latest success, and were talking about there upcoming vacation plans to Multi-Mania, a theme-park in San Diego, CA. "Marlene used to live in an aquarium there," Lucinda thought out loud, upon returning to the Central Park Zoo, "maybe she knows more about this 'Multi-Mania' place..." then she notices that the record was still playing, and the rest of the lemur kingdom was zoned out. "...but first, a little fun. ''Listen to my words, this is what I want you to do---''" The next morning, King Julien, Mort and Maurice wake up a total laughing stock as the zoo's opening bell broke the trance... Alice had to call the vet over just to get all three of them off the fountain, as they didn't look very well. Then again, Julien felt really sick when he found out on Marlene's visit what his sister was up to last night to put his Kingdom to such a disgrace. "THE VESUVIUS TWINS?!!!" "She said she wanted to surprise you by using them to get you into a the Multi-Mania theme-park nearby my old Aquarium... families have at least have twins or pay a $20 dollar entry toll." "Flattering as that is sounding, Marlene, I fear the worst for my sister. Does she not know that they will be using her if she doesn't hang onto her dignified self-worth?" Maurice climbed up to the window, and saw something that made it hard to believe his eyes... Yet it was true. "Your Majesty, we don't have to worry about those two no more! Look!" As strange as it was, the vision was real: instead of bothering the animals in the zoo, the Vesuvius' were fighting each other! The penguins seemed closest to the matter, so King Julien popped on by for some "intel" but Kowalski tends to get carried away with the charts and data on the matter. "That's another quarter in the Show-off Jar Kowalski!" Skipper yelled, and as Kowalski grudgingly went to the lab for his coin-bag, Private gave the simpler version: "The Vesuvius twins seem to be fighting... over a girl!" "This isn't any girl we're talking about men," Skipper continued, "our zoo-overlord in training, Amy Dehauntedo, had fought off at least a dozen Goblin Scouts this morning when they had done vandalism on the automated feeding system, and the Vesuvius twins just happened to witness the worst of it." "Go figuring," Julien pouted, "the violent stuff was always being there favorite thing, and they almost turned me into their little fur-toy with it! Oh well, at least they will be leaving Lucinda alone." King Julien explained the matter to the penguins as soon as Kowalski put the quarter in the jar, and just as he was insisting not to let Lucinda know that he knows about Multi-Mania, the lady of the lemurs herself barged in. Rico stuck his face into hers and started to drool. "Rico! For the 627th time, I am not here to make a bomb for you!" Rico moaned and waddled off in disappointment, and the young Duchess was about to announce the obvious: "Did you here what's just happened between the Vesuvius boys?" "We know! We know!" everyone said together, happily. Lucinda, however, was not amused. "I know from experience that conflict builds character in twins," she explained, "but this is not only their first fight over a girl. According to the Gossip chains of the city, this is their first fight over anything! I hope they make up soon, by this weekend at the very latest. I got big plans for those two." King Julien, with his case of stupidity, was a natural at playing dumb. "Oh? What kind of plans are you thinking up, sis?" "That's a secret, but I intend to reveal it to you when the time is right, big brother. Trust me, you'll enjoy it even if I have to arrange the whole matter myself!" Unfortunately, Lucinda's insanity was also known all over the zoo, "Hey! That's it! I'll find evidence that Amy isn't really their type, then set a trap so they can see it together, whether they want to or not! They'll have to get along ofter that! This is a high stakes mission, boys, and I intend to accept it solo! Wish me luck!" "Lucinda! Wait!" It was too late! She had disappeared to goodness knows where, leaving her only clue to her whereabouts being the Vesuvius sibling rivalry! King Julien pulled a belt out of his crown... the very belt he got from the twins the day he lost his dignity to them and got it back. As he put it around his waist, Julien pulled Skipper's face into his own "Skipper! We have to stop my sister from making the biggest, most stupidy mistake of her life!" Skipper pushed Julien away and gave wing signals to his fellow penguins... this is, indeed, a high stakes mission. Several traps were set and the penguins sabotaged every single one while Lucinda wasn't looking. On account of the odds that the Vesuvius twins might still be a danger to them, however, the tampering only got the boys out only in the nick of time, and gave them even more reason to bicker (as each thought the matter was a set up from the other), but as Julien tried to tell his sister what she's up against, she was too focused on her goals to listen. The weekend approaches, and the Vesuvius brothers calling a truce was inevitable, as was the fact that in Lucinda's sense of success she caught there attention, and they caught hers with golden jewelry that they intended to give Amy, thinking this way, they'd get both a date and a pet. Julien clutched the buckle of his belt to maintain his composer... a taste for shiny artifacts was a weakness that runs in the royal family! "Sister! Stop! Don't go for 'their' gold! It isn't worth it!" She didn't seem to hear him, she was spellbound by the glitter. There was only one shot he had left (a great symbol to waste, but a small sacrifice as he had many spares)... BONK! Lucinda came back to her senses by something hitting her lightly on the back of the head. Looking at the ground, and then behind her, it became obvious that whatever Julien wanted to tell her was serious, for he'd never throw in his own crown otherwise! "Can't you see I'm trying to ask a favor of them so we can tag along for there annual multiple-births-only amusement park?! {Gasp!} Oh great! So much for the surprise!" "It don't matter if your meet the nasty surprise on account you'd be vulnerable of dignity theft by taking there shiny toys, Lucinda! I speak from the experience." "Julien I don't think you've noticed but truth is, I've always been embarrassingly shy in spite of our high-class heritage. Don't you understand... I never had any dignity! Okay?!" "Nonsense! Even though you've been a pet for years, you found things to be proud of, but unlike the Dehauntedo family these... devoly mirahalahy will take that away from you!" Skipper was confused, "Devoly mirahalahy?" "That means 'demon brothers' in our ancestral language." Maurice explained, and no sooner did he say it did the Vesuvius brothers show how demon-like they really are... just as Lucinda was beginning to weigh the odds her own brother was telling the truth... by capturing ''both royal lemurs! "After we give her these squirrel things and the jewelry, Vince, I concur we take her to see a classic film on our home theater system, before we leave for Multi-Mania." "Great idea, Victor! 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' is on tonight! She'd love it." "That tacky thing? My dear brother, no! I've invested a miniscule portion of our wealth to purchase the original copy of 'The Bride of Frankenstein' and have it digitally remastered." "What are you, bonkers?! Knowing you, you'll make the image clearer, but it'll still be in black and white." "A timeless film must never be tampered with completely." "I should've expected that talk from somebody who brought home a penguin!" "Speak for yourself, Jungle-boy savage!" "Hey! This lemur was the best pet we ever had! He even made you laugh when he threw up on your penguin, and don't get me started on what a looker he was in that gold diaper-leash!" "Until he stopped dancing in it and threw it into your face! No doubt you were holding that leash all wrong!" "Me?! You were the one who started yanking at his chain!" "Yeah?! Well, you encouraged it!" "Did not!" "Did too!" "Did not!" "Did too!" The Vesuvius' fought so hard that they shook up the lemur twins in the cage (so hard that Lucinda's pendents fell out and scattered on the icy ground, and Julien began to get sick) until somebody blew the whistle. It was Amy Dehauntedo, and she reveals her truest nature by freeing the Julien and Lucinda from the grasp of the Vesuvius' twins, and telling them "My father always told me: 'My dear child, there is enough cruelty in the world as it is, any more and we might end up destroying our own home. Let us start by looking to those outside our kind for aid as needed, for pets show more respect for the people who treat them as part of the family then those who treat all animals as slaves.' I take my father's words to heart, both as a zookeeper and off duty from it. Remember that, and maybe you might keep yourselves from being sued for Animal Abuse!" They though Amy was kidding at first, until her little brother Zeke came by to back her up. "You heard my sister! Go away and never ever ever ever... and I mean never come back until you learned some manners, and stop being a couple of bully pants too! Why? Because if you mess with one of us, you mess with us all!" The animals of the zoo heard the speeches of the Dehauntedo children, where moved by their kindness and courage, and joined together in a stand-off against the Vesuvius twins, who refused to leave, and put their hats on before circling Amy with their incantation. She saw through it though, and had removed their hats to prove she guessed correctly. All the animals were impressed, Darla especially. "Hon, how did you ever manage? Those little devils had Vince's cowlick as well hidden as a farmer in a sand-storm!" "Easy, Darla. They've been fighting over me for so long I can tell them apart by personality, and even though they fake each-others identities to cheat a lucky guesser, that busy-body Victor and Hitler-wannabe Vince are easy to defer!" The Vesuvius' were confused by Amy... it's bad enough her love for animals makes her too soft for their taste, but actually talking to animals as though they were people too? Weird! Freaked out, the two boys were on their way out. "Trying to enslave us is bad enough," Lucinda said, rushing to the pieces of her ruined neck-orations, "but they gone too far destroying the two-of-a-kind royal amulets of our childhood! Oh, but I assure you, big brother, it'll be payback time soon enough, for I intend to use that mind-control disc on them...the one that I tested on you and your servants, remember? Anyhow, not only will we sneak along with those jerks to Multi-mania, but I'll brainwash them into embarrassing themselves at the theme park as the main attraction freak show... and we'll be there to watch! Ha!" "Uh... yah sis. About that--" Right on cue, Mort shown up with a hammer... "I smashed the CD! A deal's a deal!"... and ran up to hug King Julien's feet, but was stopped in a deal-is-off kind of way. Maurice had only one thing to say about the whole ordeal: "Awkward!" None the less, the two lemurs tagged along with the Vesuvius family to humiliate them anyway, and brought a video camera along so, by the time they got back, the whole zoo can watch. During the absence of the royal family, Kowalski had been working on something: had gathered the pieces of the broken seashell amulets and grinned them further to make a paint, he used one of the mollusks he kept from when he and his penguin rockery had dinner at Marline's place and some binder-twine he intended to used to repair his abacus with, and had made a new seashell amulet for Duchess Lucinda... a purple one. Lucinda liked the gift so much she's stolen a kiss (second-time ever) from Kowalski (even if she wasn't raised by fishermen, she wouldn't mind the taste from this penguin's mouth)! King Julien put the belt away and reclaimed his crown as he saw the romantic moment, and smiled. "Now that is being the dignified." ...to be continued... Category:MysteryGirl's World Category:Fan-Fic Category:Fandom